My tent pole snapped in a storm and I fixed it with a $1.50 part from the hardware store

Honestly, I was camping near Lake Tahoe last fall when a huge gust snapped a pole segment on my old dome tent. Tbh, I thought the trip was over. Instead of buying a whole new pole kit, I went to a local store and got a 6-inch piece of aluminum tubing for a buck fifty. I cut it to size and used it as a splint with some heavy-duty tape. It held strong for the rest of the weekend and three more trips since. Has anyone else pulled off a cheap field repair that actually lasted?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin_clark3d ago

Remembered my shoelace snapped on a hike once... used a zip tie from my bag to keep my boot on. Felt like a total genius until I tried to walk and it was the most awkward shuffle of my life. Your tubing fix is way more legit than my weird, stiff-legged victory walk back to the car.

the_wesley3d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that zip tie shuffle sounds painfully familiar. I once tried to fix a broken sandal with a whole roll of duct tape on a camping trip, ended up with a foot that looked like a silver club and walked like I had a leg cast. Your idea was probably smarter, at least it was just one zip tie. My foot was sweating glue for a week after.